Pulmonary rehabilitation principles in SARS-COV-2 infection (COVID-19): A guideline for the acute and subacute rehabilitation

Yeşim Kurtaiş Aytür, Belma Füsun Köseoğlu, Özden Özyemişçi Taşkıran, Nilüfer Kutay Ordu-Gökkaya, Sibel Ünsal Delialioğlu, Birkan Sonel Tur, Selda Sarıkaya, Hülya Şirzai, Tülay Tekdemir Tiftik, Ebru Alemdaroğlu, F Figen Ayhan, Burcu Duyur Duyur Çakıt, Aysun Genç, İbrahim Gündoğdu, Rengin Güzel, Derya Demirbağ Karayel, Başak Bilir Kaya, Öznur Öken, Hande Özdemir, Feray Soyupek, Canan Tıkız, Yeşim Kurtaiş Aytür, Belma Füsun Köseoğlu, Özden Özyemişçi Taşkıran, Nilüfer Kutay Ordu-Gökkaya, Sibel Ünsal Delialioğlu, Birkan Sonel Tur, Selda Sarıkaya, Hülya Şirzai, Tülay Tekdemir Tiftik, Ebru Alemdaroğlu, F Figen Ayhan, Burcu Duyur Duyur Çakıt, Aysun Genç, İbrahim Gündoğdu, Rengin Güzel, Derya Demirbağ Karayel, Başak Bilir Kaya, Öznur Öken, Hande Özdemir, Feray Soyupek, Canan Tıkız

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious infection disease, which may cause respiratory, physical, psychological, and generalized systemic dysfunction. The severity of disease ranges from an asymptomatic infection or mild illness to mild or severe pneumonia with respiratory failure and/or death. COVID-19 dramatically affects the pulmonary system. There is a lack of knowledge about the long-term outcomes of the disease and the possible sequelae and rehabilitation. This clinical practice guideline includes pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) recommendations for adult COVID-19 patients and has been developed in the light of the guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 provided by the World Health Organization and Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Health, recently published scientific literature, and PR recommendations for COVID-19 regarding basic principles of PR. In this guideline, the contagiousness of COVID-19, recommendations on limited contact of patient with healthcare providers, and the evidence about possible benefits of PR were taken into consideration.

Keywords: COVID-19; guideline. pulmonary rehabilitation; severe acute respiratory syndrome.